When I tell people at Michigan State that I am from Lansing and attended Lansing schools, they often look at me in disbelief and will apologize for the fact that I had to endure 13 treacherous years growing up in such a "dangerous" city. At first, I wasn't bothered by these comments because I believed them, but as I progressed in my studies and encountered people from places very different from Lansing, I'm so thankful for the lessons that I learned and for the people that I grew up with.
Maybe you hated Lansing Schools like I did. I bashed them whenever I got the chance to; I'd complain about how they had no money, about how our schools didn't look as nice as the surrounding districts, and about the lunches they provided, which is actually a nation-wide issue. I was so worried about attending a university because I thought that a Lansing education wouldn't prepare me enough for a rigorous college curriculum; I thought that I wasn't as smart as the other kids because I was from Lansing. This wasn't self-taught; it was something that people put into my mind over the years, whether it was kids and their parents from more privileged districts, or even people inside the Lansing School District. I still witness this going on all the time, and I'm here to tell you,
that you're just as bright as Okemos, Grand Ledge, Dewitt, Holt, and any other district. You're worth so much more than you think.
I know it can be hard growing up in a district that lacks funding, especially because so much value in the world is placed upon money. The more money something has, the better it is, so naturally, you feel inferior. Your friend at Okemos does their reading off of an iPad, while you do yours out of a printed packet because there weren't enough textbooks for everybody to check out. You complain to your teachers and they tell you to stop being so entitled, you get frustrated, but they're right. I read out of those same packets, and I complained about them too, but the material that was in them got me to where I am today, and I'm proud of where I am. It taught me that money should never be a limiting factor, something a lot of people never learn. Just because it's not coming out of a brand new book or device does not mean that it's bad material. Engage with it and learn it.
People will make fun of the type of people that you go to school with, mostly because they are minorities. But, the diverse population of people I grew up with taught me some of the greatest lessons that I will ever learn in life. I meet people in college that have never interacted with someone out of their own race, and it makes me so grateful to have grown up in a place with people different than myself. I have best friends that are from other countries and friends that taught me how to be socially aware of different injustices around the world. You don't have to hate your teachers, classmates, and school because other people put it in your mind that you need to. Get to know the people you're around and let them get to know you; you'll meet people with unique experiences that will change your outlook on life, and those conversations will become the most memorable.
Just because you're from Lansing doesn't mean that you can't dream big. It doesn't mean that you have to shy away from attending the school of your dreams because someone told you that kids from Lansing don't generally attend college; you don't have to fall into their statistic. I was more than prepared for college, and I owe it to the Lansing School District. If you apply yourself and engage with the material, what you can accomplish is endless. I promise.
People will try to make you apologize for where you came from, don't. There is not a thing to be sorry for. Rather, feel sorry for them for thinking that they need to feel sorry for you. You're no less than them, and you are just as capable as anyone else. Now, when people apologize to me when I tell them where I'm from, I put on a confused face and ask them, "what're you sorry for?" It's entertaining to watch their look of disbelief as I proceed to tell them that I'm proud of where I come from. You can be, too.
Help erase the stigma instead of agreeing with it. Don't let your other friends talk bad about your Lansing friends. Thank the teachers that did their best for you despite not having the best conditions. Wear your school's sweatshirt and wear it proudly. Take home that packet and highlight the crap out of it, unless you were instructed not to, of course. Don't ever, ever apologize for where you come from. And please don't question your worth, because you are the world and you are capable of anything.
